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MSP: ANGUS BREXIT RISK HIGH

RURAL AREAS AMONG MOST VULNERABLE

MSP for the Angus South Constituency, Graeme Dey, has highlighted a new analysis showing many of the localities at greatest risk from the impact of Brexit to be rural areas – with much of Angus South in the highest risk category.

The ‘Local Level Brexit Vulnerabilities in Scotland’ report breaks the map down into 7,000 geographical units called datazones, across which a series of risk factors facing communities have been plotted.

These include areas’ access to services, working age population, income deprivation, Brexit-sensitive industries, and payments and migration from the EU. The resulting map of vulnerabilities shows a higher concentration of the most at-risk datazones in remote and rural locations.

It comes as the Scottish Government published their preparations for a ‘no-deal’ Brexit, including steps to protect food and medicine supplies, support businesses and safeguard vulnerable citizens.

Specific initiatives have included the establishment of a Scottish Medicines Shortage Response Group and a commitment to create a £7 million Rapid Poverty Mitigation Fund in the event of no deal. Farmers and crofters are receiving 95% of their Common Agricultural Policy payments early in order to shield them from the immediate effects.

According to the report, such preparations have been made “unnecessarily difficult” by a lack of engagement from Downing Street – with Scottish Ministers invited to only eight of more than 50 meetings of the UK Government’s EU Exit Operations committee.

Commenting, Mr Dey said:

“The Vulnerabilities analysis confirms what SNP colleagues and I have been saying for some time – that communities in areas such as Angus South will be among the worst-hit by any variety of Brexit.

“But crashing out of the EU with no deal in place would be catastrophic for Angus South and its rural economy – with 24% of datazones in Angus among the most vulnerable 20% in Scotland.

“As a responsible government, the SNP administration has undertaken extensive planning to mitigate the worst effects of this outcome – but it is a totally needless outcome that Scotland has so clearly rejected.

“The Tory policy of Brexit at any cost is incredibly reckless, and there can be no doubt that – despite the best efforts of this Scottish Government – no-deal would have profound consequences for jobs, investment and living standards and should be ruled out immediately.”